VI. Man At Resurrection (cont.)

F. Are The Righteous Resurrected With A Body Like Christ’s?

1. Will The Bodies Of The Righteous Be Changed Into A Likeness Of Christ’s Body?

1 John 3:

    2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Philippians 3:

    21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Job 19:

    26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

    27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

NOTE:

    Christ when he left, left in the flesh. The Bible says, “this same Jesus will come back again.” If we are going to be changed like Him then we will be in the flesh also. Job verifies this when he says, “yet in my flesh shall I see God.” So how will we be different then? We will be changed from mortal to immortal. (see 1 Corinthians 15:52-54)

2. What Is The Body Of Christ Like?

Acts 1:

    11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Luke 24:

    36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

    37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

    38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

    39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

    40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

    41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?

    42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.

    43 And he took it, and did eat before them.

    50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

    51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

John 20:

    19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

    20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

    26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

    27 Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

G. Will The Resurrected Righteous Ever Die Again?

Luke 20:

    35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:

    36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

Revelation 21:

    4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

1 Corinthians 15:

    51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

    52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

    53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

    54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

H. When Will The Wicked Be Called From Their Sleep? (Second Resurrection)

John 5:

    28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

    29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

NOTE:

    Notice that two separate resurrections are mentioned here.

Revelation 20:

    6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Revelation 20:

    5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

NOTE:

    Revelation 20:6 says, the “blessed and holy” are raised in the first resurrection and live with Christ for a thousand years. The “rest of the dead” that are resurrected at the end of the thousand years would have to be the wicked. Revelation 20:5

I. Is The Resurrection The Gateway To Eternal Life For The Righteous Dead?

1 Thessalonians 4:

    16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:”

    17 “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

J. Do The Dead And The Living Receive Their Reward At The Same Time?

1 Thessalonians 4:

    16 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:”

    17 “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Revelation 22:

    12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Matthew 25:

    1 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

    32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

    34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

    41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

NOTE:

    1 Thessalonians 4:16,17 makes it very clear that, when Christ comes, the “dead in Christ” are raised from the dead, and then those Righteous that are still alive, when Christ comes, are caught up together with the raised dead to be with Christ forever. The fate of the Wicked are sealed at this time also, as can be seen by Matthew 25:31,32,34 & 41.

Contents

Next Chapter

Dwight Waterhouse is the compiler of this information. Please feel free to send your comments and questions. David Waterhouse is the Webmaster. You can reach both of us at the same E mail